Apartment 52
by HeyDickGrayson
Summary: Rapunzel is sick of her life trapped in a small house so she runs away to London, needing a place to stay she ends up moving in with three rather odd teenagers. Jack, Merida and Hiccup all have their own little quirks but all secrets will be revealed when Mother Gothel comes looking for her revenge. May contain Jackunzel at some point.
1. Chapter 1

_**So hey everyone, this is my second fanfic for the big four. I'm aiming to make it completely different from the other one (if your reading it) so I hope you enjoy it :) The only reason its set in London is because I'm British and therefore its the only city I really know so yeah :') I'd love to have your feedback of this, anything will be appreciated :) Oh and most of it will be in Rapunzel's POV but there will be some from the others to :)**_

**Chapter 1**

I didn't want to run away. Not really, but but being locked up in that house for 18 years was doing me no good, regardless of what mother said. I'd taken several trains to get to the outskirts of London so I wasn't turning back now. At the time, I thought it was a good idea, getting out to see the world but now, standing outside the tall building of flats, an uneasy feeling was settling in my stomach. Mother would be heartbroken when she got back from her trip. Would she come looking for me? Maybe I should go back. No. I had to do this. I took in a deep breath as I walked in through the double doors, my long braided hair swaying behind me. It had taken hours to put it into a plait, I couldn't exactly walk around London with magical hair trailing everywhere. In front of me was a long set of stairs that swirled up to the top of the building with an elevator that ran in the middle of them. I checked the news paper ad that I had cut out for the apartment number. The ad said it was an averagely sized flat with three other people already living there. It had three bedrooms, kitchen with attached living room and two bathrooms. It seemed perfect for someone starting out in the city and the rent wasn't too expensive. The apartment was on level 20, near the top of the building so I decided to take the elevator. I pressed the button as it made a little _ding_ noise and waited for the doors to open. When they did, I quickly jumped in, pulling my pink suitcase in behind me. I idled there quietly, elevator music playing in the background until the doors reopened on the right level. I lugged my suitcase back out, pulling it along the floor until I found the right apartment. The door was white with a gold _52_ painted on it, maching the handle which was also painted gold. I smoothed out my knee length lilac dress before looking at my chameleon, Pascal, who had been sitting silently on my suitcase the whole time.

"This is it.." I whispered as I turned my attention back to the door. I took another deep breath as my clenched fist hovered in front of it.

"Come on Rapunzel, you can do this." I said to my self as breathed in and out a couple of times, calming my nerves. I knocked on the door confidently so the residents inside could here me. I heard movement inside and the buzz of a television as I waited.

"Jack! Get that will ya?!" It was a female voice with a thick Scottish accent, at least one of them was a girl.

"Why don't you get it?!" A male voice, rough, presumably a boy named "Jack".

"'cause I'm busy!" The Scottish again, she seemed to be getting more annoyed with her male roommate.

"Just get the door, Jack." A different male voice, not as rough as the other but defiantly male.

"Urgh, fine.." I heard the springs of a couch or bed creak as the television noise was muted. The door swung open to reveal a young boy about the same age of me. He had unusually bright white hair with just as bright eyes of the coolest blue. They where remarkably beautiful and entrancing which contrasted against his extremely pale skin. He wore casual clothes including brown pants and a navy blue hoodie that had detailed frost patterns decorating the sleeves and around the neck. The ice looked weirdly realistic.

"Can I help you?" He asked it lazily as he leaned his head against the door with a sigh. He didn't have bags under his eyes but he looked exhausted.

"Erm...yeah, I'm here about the available room?" I held up the newspaper ad with a little shrug. Instead of replying, the boy turned around and started walking back to the couch, leaving me standing there with the door wide open.

"Merida! Someone's here about the room!" He shouted as he collapsed on to the couch, grabbing the tv remote off the table as he did so. I noticed there was a long stick with a crooked end leaning up against the couch next to him. Unusual piece of furniture.

The Scottish female I had heard earlier came rushing out one of the rooms, wiping her hands with a cloth and blowing her hair out of her face, which was a crazy mess of red curls spilling around her shoulders. She had a round face with deep blue eyes and a slim body. She wore black jeans with a dark green blouse that complimented the red of her hair perfectly.

"Hi! Don't mind Jack, he's in a mood today." She gestured to the boy on the couch with her head who stuck his tongue out her and grinned. She returned the cheeking gesture then turned back to me.

"So you're here to see the room?" She wore a friendly smile as she talked to me.

"Erm..yeah."

"Well come on in, I'll show you around." She stood aside and let me walk in, bringing my suitcase inside for me and leaning it against the wall.

"I'm Merida and I guess you've already met Jack." She gestured to her self and then to the boy on the couch who used two fingers to salute in our direction without actually looking at us.

"And Hiccup is...hey wheres Hiccup?" She turned to Jack who just shrugged.

"Probably in his room." He waved his hand towards the doors at the back of the apartment. Merida stormed over to one of the white doors and started banging on the wood with her fist.

"Hiccup! Get your butt out here!" She stood by the door and waited with her arms crossed until it slightly opened. A head popped out with ear length brown hair and pale green eyes.

"What?" It was the other male I had heard. He had a weird name, Hiccup? Odd.

"We have a guest. She's here to see the spare room.." She nodded towards me as Hiccup slipped out the room and looked at me.

"Oh..sorry, Hi!" He looked slightly younger then the others, maybe by two or three years but he didn't act immature, instead, he walked over to me with his hand out, ready to great me. I shook his hand as Merida followed him back over.

"I'm Hiccup..and you are?"

"Rapunzel." I nervously smiled as I let go of his hand.

"Cool name, where are you from?"

"Erm..I.."

"Geez Hiccup, stop smothering the girl with questions." It was Jack, who had gotten up from the couch and strolled over to us.

"Jack Frost, at your service." Jack Frost? Where had I heard that name before? He took my hand and shook it as he winked at me.

"Stop being such a flirt, Jack." Merida scoffed and rolled her eyes before grabbing my hand and pulling me behind her.

"C'mon, I'll show you ya room." She pulled me through one of the other doors and stopped, swinging me around in front of her.

"Ta da!" She spread her arms out dramatically with a grin. I gazed around the room in awe. There was a modern four post bed in the corner, much like my old bed, with a brown table settled next to it holding a white lamp. There was a large window that let in golden rays of sunshine, filling the whole room with a golden glow. There was even a cushioned chair in the corner with a foot stool next to the large wooden wardrobe.

"Its not much but it'll do."

"Are you kidding? Its perfect!" I skipped into the room merrily, jumping on the bed and admiring the floral sheets.

"Woah, that's a lot of hair." Jack commented as he came trailing in, pulling my suit case behind him and plopping it on the bed next to me.

"Err...thanks?" I weakly smiled at him as he walked back over to Merida, leaning against the door frame with crossed arms.

"So..what do you think? You up for it?" Merida crossed her arms like Jack and gave me a smug smile.

"Defiantly." I grinned back.

"Great! Well, we'll leave you to unpack." Jack nodded as he followed Merida back to the living room.

I was going to be happy here, I just knew it.

**Jack**

I laid down on the couch, rubbing my eyes and dragging my hands down my face. I'd been out all night freezing ponds and trees, getting ready for winter so I was physically drained. It wasn't fair how everyone else got to sleep, considering I was the one who had to do the most work. They did haven't duties like I did. I mean yeah, sure, Merida had her duties as a princess and Hiccup had to exercise and feed Toothless every so often but I had to travel around continents almost every night making it snow, it was exhausting being a Guardian. It was always winter somewhere.

Ever since I'd been enrolled as a Guardian, more and more people had started believing in me as my story got around. Most children could see me and there was even the occasional adult who believed so I wasn't really surprised that Rapunzel could. But there where some advantaged of being invisible, the staff at our local supermarket couldn't see me at all so it got me out of grocery shopping, plus it was brilliant for pulling pranks.

I grabbed my staff from its resting place and started tracing the twists in the wood with my fingers. I heard Merida sit down on one of the chairs and put her feet up on the coffee table. She really had no manners at all.

"So what do you think of the new girl?" Merida asked as Hiccup slumped down on the end of the couch near my feet, resting his arm along the back of it.

"She seems nice, I think she'll get on well here." Merida agreed with a slow nod, biting the corner off one of her biscuits that she kept on the table.

"What about you Jack?" She asked with a mouthful of crumbs.

"Yeah, crazy long hair though." I pointed out as they both nodded. I hadn't really paid attention to her but I noticed her long braid of golden hair, it was hard to miss.

"I wonder why she never cuts it." Hiccup said thoughtfully as he snatched the remote of the table and started flicking through channels.

**Rapunzel**

I was just unpacking my art materials, setting them down on the table next to my bed when I heard shouting coming from the living room.

"Get it off me!"

"Jack, stay still!"

"Dude, just chill, stop jumping about!"

"What is it? Just get it off!" I ran into the living room to find Jack jumping about grabbing at his hair whilst Hiccup and Merida chased after him, trying to grab what ever was on his head. I narrowed my eyes, trying to see what it was. A little white lizard...

"PASCAL!" I shouted from my door before storming over to them. Jack had stopped leaping around and was now watching me as I approached them.

"Get off him!" Jack flinched as Pascal jumped down from his head and onto his shoulder. I stared the lizard down as he scurried downward, along Jack's arm before jumping over on to my shoulder. I plucked him off and held him on my hand directly in front of my face.

"Now, what have I told about scaring people like that? It's not nice." I waggled a finger at him as his skin faded from the white of Jacks hair back to his normal leaf green. I smiled at him as he frowned with puppy dog eyes, looking up at me.

"Fine, I forgive you, just don't do it again, okay?" His frown turned into a grin as he scampered back up my arm.

"What the hell is that thing?" Jack panted, hand on his chest. He was holding that stick I had spotted earlier with the crooked end. Was it some kind of walking stick?

"Pascal, he's my pet Chameleon."

"Well keep him off my head, his feet feel weird." I chuckled as Jack ran a hand through his hair. It was a very attractive gesture, one that would make any girl swoon but I held my ground, refusing to succumb to his charm.

"Don't worry, I will."


	2. Chapter 2

_**So here's the second installment, we're basically still getting to know the characters but thank you for all the great feedback from the first chapter, means a lot :)**_

**Chapter 2**

We spent the rest of the afternoon in the living room, chatting about random things and watching tv. It felt nice to just lounge around without any chores to do, I'd never really had any friends before so it felt a bit strange, in a good way.

Merida was in the kitchen, cooking our dinner of spaghetti bolognese when the wall phone rang. She flung the cloth she was holding over her shoulder and wiped her forehead before grabbing the phone of the hook and holding it to her ear.

"Hello?...yes...yes...tomorrow?...sure!...okay...b ye." She put the phone back on the wall and walked over to us.

"That was the landlord, he's coming over tomorrow to meet you, yanno, to make it official and stuff." She used her hands as she spoke, making gestures towards me.

"Oh okay." She smiled at me as she walked back to the kitchen, turning the temperature down on the stove before draining the pasta. She started portioning out the strings of pasta into bowls, topping them with sauce before adding a sprinkle of cheese.

"Alright, dinner's ready!" She called over to us as she put all three bowls on the kitchen table then sat down her self. Me and Hiccup stood up at the same time, eager for food but I noticed that Jack didn't move at all, he carried on watching the tv.

"You're not eating?" I asked as he looked at me.

"Oh, I'm not hungry." He smiled weakly and returned to watching some movie that had just started on one of the channels.

"You sure?" He nodded without looking at me, concentrating on the tv. Merida must have already knew that he wasn't eating as there was only 3 bowls of food on table as I approached it, taking a seat opposite Merida. Steam rose from all three dishes, creating a delightful aroma that filled the room, not to mention it looked delicious to.

After dinner, Hiccup and Merida started washing the dishes, Merida washing whilst Hiccup dried. I strolled back over to the couch, taking a seat next to Jack who had been sitting there the whole time. I had a question to ask that had been bugging since I first saw Hiccup.

"So..erm.. how old is Hiccup? He looks a little young to be living with you guys?"

"Well, his father kicked him out and he needed somewhere to stay so I said he could move in with us. I'm actually his legal guardian now." He smirked to himself, like he'd said something that only he found amusing.

"Oh, that must have been terrible for him."

"Not really, he didn't have a very good relationship with his father after his mother died so for him it was kind of a relief to get away."

"Oh, so does he still go to school?"

"Occasionally, not that he needs to. Smartest kid I know, always has been."

"So you've known him for a while?"

"I've known them both since they where little." He spoke like he was a lot older then them but he looked the same age as me. Maybe it was just bad wording.

"Must be nice to have friends like that." I said it partly to myself, curling up on the couch.

"Yeah, it is." He said thoughtfully as he grabbed the stick I had seen him with earlier and started fiddling with the wood.

"Anyway...I'm gonna go to bed now...goodnight." The whole day had been rather stressful so I was exhausted and needed a good nights sleep.

"Night." Jack said as he grabbed the tv remote and started flicking through channels again. I got up from the couch, making my way to my bedroom but stopped just as I reached the door.

"Goodnight guys!" I called to the kitchen and listened for a reply.

"Night!" Hiccup and Merida called back in unison. I smiled to myself as I turned the knob of my door and walked in.

I woke up in the middle of the night, sweaty and panting from a nightmare that I couldn't remember so I decided a glass of water would do me good. I sat up, wiping my brow with the back of my hand before peeling the bed covers off me. I tiptoed out of the room, not wanting to wake the others and made my way to the kitchen sink. I'd just started pouring a glass of water when I heard something stir from the other room, making me jump slightly. I stretched my neck and squinted through the dark to see what it was and was surprised to see Jack lying on the couch, arm draped over his face whilst hugging his 'walking' stick in the other arm. Its then when I realised that he didn't have a bedroom. There was only four rooms at the back of the apartment, one of which was a bathroom. Why wouldn't he have his own room? I warily walked over to the living room, standing behind the coffee table. I tilted my head as I observed him, smiling to myself. He looked so peaceful, breathing gently through pale lips. Suddenly, one of his crystal blue eyes snapped open.

"Where you watching me?" He asked with a smirk.

"What? No!" I stepped back, taking a sip of my water to calm myself. He chuckled as my cheeks started heating up.

"I'm sorry for waking you."

"I wasn't asleep." He sighed as he sat up with a groan, balancing his stick agaisnt the couch. He patted the now empty space where his head once was, gesturing for me to sit down.

"Oh, how come?" I asked as a plopped down on the couch next to him.

"I'm not a very good sleeper. How come your up anyway?" I held up my glass with a smile.

"Ah." He nodded to himself as he sat forward, leaning his elbows on his knees. There was an awkward silence for a moment before Jack spoke again.

"So, what brings you to London anyway?" He looked at me with a curious smile.

"I..er..ran away." I figured there was no point in lying, they where gonna have to find out eventually anyway.

"Woah, I suddenly feel like we're hiding a criminal." He chuckled which kind of made me feel guilty. Mother would be back in two days. She'd come home to an empty house, but she should've known that I'd leave eventually. I was 18 years old and had never been to school, had friends or relationships. I'd never experienced anything thanks to her.

Jack must have seen the expression on my face as he stopped laughing but smiled at me sympathetically.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to- ."

"No it's okay, it's just, I feel guilty for leaving my mother."

"Well I'm sure you have a good reason for running away."

"Well, she did keep me locked in a house for 18 years." Jack stared at me in shock.

"Really? Wow, well I'd say that's defiantly a good reason. Why would she do that?"

"I don't know, she says the outside world is dangerous, full of people who want to hurt me." I gave a little shrug as Jack tutted to himself.

"Ridiculous. Well, be assured that you can go out all you want now you're with us." He winked at me with a grin, bumping my arm with his. He really was a flirt.

"Thanks." I giggled slightly at the gesture, he was starting to get to me. Damn it! How was Merida able to live with him for so long? I checked the clock on the wall above the tv for the time. It was almost 1 o'clock. I stood up with my glass in hand, smoothing out my pink pyjamas.

"I should probably go back to bed now, I'll er..see you in the morning." I smiled politely as I backed away to my room.

"Yup." He gave me a little salute before running his hand through his hair, making my heart rate go up. God Rapunzel, get a grip, you've only known him a day.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Sorry for the late update, haven't had time but here you go :) Thank you for all the truly amazing support on the last two chapters, really means a lot :) xx**_

**Chapter 3**

The next morning, we where all sitting around the table, three of us with a bowl of cereal. It shocked me that Jack still hadn't eaten. Maybe he'd had something during the night? We where discussing our plans for today with the Landlord coming over, he was coming around noon for lunch. Merida told me he was a friendly man and I had nothing to worry about but I was still nervous. What if he found out I'd ran away? Would he still let me live here? Hiccup had started packing a bag whilst still at the table, dropping in pencils and notebooks and checking things of a list.

"Where's he going?" I whispered to Jack who was sitting on one of the chairs with his arms crossed.

"School, like I said, he goes every so often." I nodded as I looked back over to Hiccup who was now flinging the bag over his shoulder and standing up from the table.

"Alright, I'm off, I'll see you guys later..." We waved to him as he made his way to the door.

"Bye, Hic." Merida called as she stood up to put her bowl in the sink. He gave one last little wave as he slipped out the front door.

"How come he's going today anyway?" I asked as I followed Merida to the sink with my bowl.

"He gets nervous around the Landlord. He's not good with people, especially people older then him."

"Hmm, he seemed pretty confident to me."

"Well, yeah that's because we where here. If we weren't, he would have stayed in his room the whole time. He probably wouldn't have even opened the door."

"Wow..."

"Yup..."

After washing up the dishes from breakfast, we started preparing lunch. We'd decided to go with chicken salad with garlic bread on the side. Merida was cooking the little pieces of chicken and I was cutting up various vegetables whilst Jack made the garlic butter to put on the bread before toasting them in the oven. It was nice to see us all working together, it made me smile to be part of it. I looked over to Jack who had rolled up his sleeves, the muscles in his arms moved in motion with the knife as he spread the butter. I noticed that he was wearing the same hoodie and trousers as yesterday, maybe he just couldn't be bothered to change. I quickly looked away as he turned his head in my direction, my cheeks heated up as I looked back down to the vegetables in front of me.

"Hey, Rapunzel, can you pass me that tray in front of you?"

"Yeah, sure." I grabbed the black tray and handed it to him without making eye contact, quickly returning to cutting lettuce and putting it in a large glass bowl.

"Right, chickens done." I mixed the rest of the vegetables with the lettuce before Merida poured in the chicken and topped it off with cheese and dressing.

"Just putting in the bread now, should be done soon." Jack said as he closed the oven door. We set out the table with three plates and put the salad bowl in the middle. Jack strolled over to the couch as me and Merida sat back down in the kitchen. She checked her watch then looked at the door.

"He should be here soon.." As she said it, there was a knock at the door.

"But the garlic bread isn't ready yet!" I said as we both stood up.

"Its okay, he won't want it straight away anyway." She started walking over to the door as I stood in the middle of the living room biting my knuckles nervously.

"Hey, Punzie." Punzie? I'd never had a nickname before, I liked it. "It's gonna be fine, just be yourself." Jack called over from the couch with a wink. I nodded as I breathed out and Merida opened the door, giving me a thumbs up.

"Merida! How nice to see you again!" I heard a husky voice say from behind the door.

"Mr. Frable! Please come in." Merida stepped aside, extending her arm in a welcoming gesture. A middle aged man walked in, average height with short brown hair and brown eyes that where covered by stylish glasses with a black frame. He had a kind face with a welcoming smile and affectionate eyes. He strolled up to me, extending his hand with a smile.

"And you must be Rapunzel, my dear. It's nice to meet you." I took his hand and he shook it gently before letting it fall back to my side.

"You too." I smiled politely as I nodded respectfully. He turned back to Merida as he walked over to the cushioned chair in the living room.

"It must be nice for you to get another roommate, I cant imagine its too exciting with just you and Mr. Haddock." I noticed he didnt even mention Jack, who was sitting there on the couch lazily.

"It's defiantly nice to have another female around." Merida replied with a big grin.

"I'm sure it is." Mr. Frable laughed along with Merida as he lent against the chair. There was a little _ding_ from the kitchen as the oven timer went off.

"That'll be the garlic bread." Merida said as she strolled into the kitchen.

"Great, I'm starving." He rubbed his hands together as he followed her and took a seat at the table. I did the same, sitting opposite him as Merida transferred the golden bread from the tray to a plate and placed it on the table next to the wooden salad tongs.

"Alright, everyone dig in!"

We where all enjoying our meal, munching through the pieces of garlic bread when Mr. Frable started asking questions.

"So, Rapunzel, interesting name."

"Err thanks, it's German." He nodded to himself as he ate a piece of chicken.

"Have you always lived in London?"

"Err no, I've just moved here."

"Well, I hope you enjoy your new home."

"Thank you, I will." I smiled to my self at those words. This was my new home and I was already a lot happier.

After lunch, all three of us settled down in the living room. Jack had disappeared somewhere during the meal, I hadn't heard or seen him leave so I didn't know where he'd gone.

"Alright Rapunzel, I just need you to sign a few forms." He got a thin paper booklet out of his small briefcase he had brought with him and settled them on the coffee table with a pen.

"It's just about rent and paying for damage and stuff. You can read them if you want." I grabbed the pen and looked at Merida who nodded enthusiastically with a huge grin. I started flicking through the pages, writing my name anywhere it told me to before placing the pen back on the table with a happy sigh. Mr. Frable slipped the booklet back in his briefcase and stood up with a delighted smile. We both stood up with him, Merida almost falling over from excitement.

"Alright, it's official. You are now a resident of apartment 52." We shook hands with a nod and a smile before Merida escorted him back to the door. I slumped down on the couch with an exhausted sigh. I'd gotten through the day and now everything was official. It felt good knowing that this was now my home. Merida came back over after saying goodbye and pulled me off the couch jumping up and down excitedly.

"It official! We have to celebrate!" She grinned at me with wild eyes.

"How?" I laughed at how excited she was but shared her enthusiasm.

"Movie marathon!"

Later that afternoon, me, Merida and Jack where all sitting on the floor with dvd's sprawled all over the floor, trying to decided which ones to watch tonight. Jack had came back in after the landlord left, claiming he had went to the shop but they didn't have what he wanted. Hiccup came in just as we decided on the first film, dropping his bag on the floor next to the door. He walked over to the kitchen, dropping a piece of paper on Jack as he went past.

"I need you to sign that." He got a bottle of water from the fridge as Jack picked up the yellow piece of paper.

"What it is?"

"A form." He took a big gulp of water, wiping his mouth after as he tightened the lid.

"Well yeah, I got that but what for?"

"School trip to the museum." He slumped down on the couch, switching the tv on before he took another sip of water.

"You do realise you can go there anytime you want right?"

"I know that but I can't afford it and this trip is free so please, just sign it."

"Fine.." Jack reached over to the coffee table for a pen before writing his signature on the dotted line. I watched him sign it with awe, the pen moved quickly but his signature was beautifully delicate with curls and swirls circling from each letter. He ended with a flick as he took the pen of the paper, '_JFrost' _it read. The elegance of his writing shocked me, it was not something I expected from a teenager who spent most of his time on the couch. He stood up with a sigh, passing the form back to Hiccup as he snatched his stick from its resting place.

"There."

"Thank you." Hiccup looked at him with a cheesy grin before returning his focus back to the tv. Jack sat back down next to us, resting his stick thing on his shoulder and relaxing his head against it.

"So, what film's next?"


	4. Chapter 4

_**I am SOOOOOO sorry for the extremely long delay for this chapter but it's finally up! and I made it longer then the rest so please enjoy! Please bare in mind whilst reading this that Jackul Frosti (another name for Jack Frost) is part of Norse mythology which is what the vikings believe in (of course if you already knew this then just ignore me :D) I don't know when the next chapter will be up but I know it won't be tomorrow because I'm on a trip with my college then I've got Archery straight afterwards to I wont have time sorry, I'll try writing it on Thursday. Thank you for all the great reviews and the positive feedback, it's much appreciated! 3**_

**Chapter 4**

Me and Jack where sitting on the couch talking whilst we waited for Merida to finish making popcorn before we put the second film on.

"So, we where thinking about taking you for a tour around London tomorrow." He put his arm along the top of the couch, resting his head on it.

"Really?! That would be great!" I clapped my hands together excitedly with a wide grin.

"Yeah, we could go on the London eye...go to the museum...Buckingham palace..." His eyes kept diverting to the window, distracted by something outside.

"Everything okay?" I asked with concern.

"Yeah it's just..I have to go." He suddenly jumped up from the couch, snatching up his staff thing and started making his way to the door.

"Merida! I have to go!" He called as he stopped at the door. Merida came out of the kitchen with a big silver bowl full of popcorn.

"What? Your ditching us on movie night?" She plucked some popcorn from the bowl, stuffing it into her mouth as she slumped down on the couch next to me.

"I don't want to but you know how they get if I'm late, especially Cottontail."

"Yeah I know, just don't be too long, we need to plan out tomorrow."

"Don't worry, I wont." He saluted to us with a wink as he slipped out, closing the door behind him.

"Where's he going?" I asked Merida as she handed the bowl to me so she could put the next DVD in.

"Erm...work." She bent down in front of the tv, pushing the eject button on the DVD player.

"At this time of night?"

"Yup.."

"And is 'Cottontail' his boss?" She grabbed the remote from the table before sitting back down on the couch.

"More like co-worker."

"Hmm" I passed the bowl back to her as we started the film.

Jack didn't come back that night so it ended up just being me and Merida as Hiccup was in his room most of the time, occasionally emerging for food. We watched film after film, eating bowls of sweets and tubs of ice-cream until we felt sick. By the time we both went to bed it was 3 in the morning and we where exhausted but it had been fun and a great opportunity to get to know her better.

I woke up quite late the next morning, stretching and yawning before rolling out of bed. Mother would be back today, she'd see that I was gone. I didn't know what she would do but I couldn't worry about it, this was my home now and I wouldn't let her lock me up again.

I walked over to the mirror in my bedroom sleepily, rubbing my eyes and looking at my reflection. My plait needed re-doing, there where random strands of hair sticking out of it and the top had become very loose. It didn't need washing, it never did, I guess that was one of the magical qualities it possessed which made sense considering it had the ability to heal and clean hair was healthy hair. I grabbed my dressing gown from the back of the door, wrapping it around me before stepping out of my room. I was about to go straight to the kitchen when I heard voices. They sounded like Jack's and Merida's so I stopped at my doorway and listened in.

"So what did they want?" Merida asked as I heard her pour a cup of coffee.

"North just wanted to warn us about a rumor that's being going around about a witch." Who was North and what did he mean by "us"?

"Ugh, I hate witches."

"Yeah, apparently she's really powerful and she can see us."

"That's odd, normally adults can't see you."

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Anyway, North said we shouldn't worry about her, she hasn't really been much of a threat so I guess everything's okay for now." I figured that was the end of the conversation so took that opportunity to join them. I emerged from my doorway like nothing had happened, rubbing my eyes and yawning like I'd just woken up.

"Morning!" Merida said cheerfully as I strolled into the kitchen.

"Morning to you too!" I replied with a giggle, taking a seat across from Jack on the table.

"Well, I can see you girls had fun last night..." Jack said, gesturing behind him to the empty packets and tubs that littered the living room.

"Yeah, shame you missed it." I said as I grabbed a bagel from a plate in the middle of the table and took a bite.

"Yeah, sorry about that but I promise I'll make it up to you today." He said with a grin, leaning back on the chair.

"Yeah about that, before we go I'm gonna have to ask you guys a favor..." Jack and Merida exchanged a look as she sat down next to him, putting her mug on the table.

"Yeah sure."

"Well...my hair needs re-braiding..."

"...and?"

"..and it's gonna take more than one of us if to do it."

"Aww c'mon, it's not that long." Jack said with a smirk.

"Oh really?" I stood up from the table, picking up the end of my braid and undoing the bobble that held it all together. Straight away, the plait starting falling apart, hair spilling out all over the floor.

"Woah..." Merida and Jack chorused.

"I'm not finished yet." They both raised their eyebrows as I started walking around the kitchen. My hair started trailing after me like a river as I twisted around the table before walking out into the living room. I circled around the room a couple of times, swerving in between the furniture before stopping at the front door. All of my hair was spread around the apartment, a golden river that lead back to the kitchen. Merida and Jack had followed me into the living room and where now standing next the tv, mouths agape.

"That is a whole lot of hair, lassie." Merida observed in her thick Scottish accent.

"Yeah, have you ever heard of scissors?" Jack added.

"I'm not allowed to cut it, besides...I like it this way..."

"Your call.." Jack put his hands up defensively and shrugged.

We spent about half an hour separating my hair into individual threads then folding them over each other to create a plait. I could have done it on my own but it would have taken the whole day and we didn't have time. By the time we had finished it was about half ten.

"Thank you." I spoke with a grateful smile, twirling around so my braid swung around me.

"No problem, lassie. Now go get dressed, we need to go soon." I nodded quickly in response before running off to my room to get changed. I decided to go casual, pulling on my three quarter jeans that folded at the bottom with a light pink blouse. I never wore shoes so I didn't see the point in packing them. I grabbed Pascal from my bed, placing him on my shoulder then padded back out to the living room.

"You ready?"Jack asked as he stood up from the couch, grabbing his crooked stick from its perch against the couch.

"Yup."

"Alright then, lets go." Merida grabbed her keys from the kitchen counter before we all headed out, locking the door behind us. Jack was looking suspiciously at Pascal who was returning the glare with narrow eyes.

"Oh stop it you two." I rolled my eyes as Pascal let out a small reptilian hiss.

"What?!" Jack exclaimed in a high pitched voice, still looking at Pascal.

"He's not going to jump on you."

"I don't trust him." I rolled my eyes again as we reached the elevator.

"So where are we going first anyway?" I asked as Merida pressed the button.

"Well, Hiccup's at the museum today so we thought we'd pay him a little visit." Merida snickered with Jack as we stepped into the now open elevator.

"You guys aren't gonna embarrass him, are ya?"

"Us? Embarrass? Never!" Jack said with innocent sarcasm as they both giggled to themselves again. I just shook my head in disbelief with a slight chuckle at the thought.

We stepped out the elevator at the bottom, Jack slinging his 'staff' over his shoulder as we all walked out the building. It was a nice, warm day and I was still aware that my mother would be back at any minute but I wasn't going to let this get to me, not whilst I was out with my new friends.

"How are we supposed to get in anyway? I didn't exactly bring a lot of money with me, just enough for rent."

"Oh don't worry, Merida's paying." Jack explained.

"Are you sure that's okay?"

"Yeah it's fine, my family has a lot of money so I can afford to pay for us for a day." Merida said with a encouraging smile.

"Oh, well as long as it's okay."

"Rapunzel don't worry, it's fine." Merida smiled with a slight reassuring giggle as we continued walking down the street. The museum wasn't that far from our building so we decided just to walk there. The hot pavement was uncomfortable under my feet, I wasn't used to this surface, the floor of my bedroom was smooth but here, tiny stones where scattered along the path that dug into my skin, causing me to flinch with every step. Jack was also barefoot and didn't seem to have a problem with it, I guess he was used to it by now.

"You okay?" Jack asked concerned as he looked down at my feet.

"Yeah..I'm just not used to the paths here." I said with a slanted smile.

"You want a piggyback?" He asked with a grin and a chuckle.

"Sure!" I giggled as he passed his staff to Merida.

"Here, hold this." He crouched down slightly, preparing his hands behind him as I lept on his back. I wrapped my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck whilst I rested my chin on his shoulder. Merida laughed at us as she handed me his staff to hold for him.

My heart rate elevated as I felt his pulse against my cheek, I'd never been this close to him before. His skin felt unusual cold against mine, it gave me goosebumps as a small shiver tingled down my smile but I liked the feeling, it was exciting. He heart skipped a beat as he cupped his hands under my thighs, leaning forward slightly to make sure I didn't slip off. My feet kept grazing his leg, a simple action but it gave me chills, just being so close to him was exhilarating. God Rapunzel, what is wrong with you? You barely know the guy! His strong arms tightened around my legs as he started walking along side Merida without any struggle at all.

"Having fun back there?" Jack asked with an amused grin. I laughed in response, tightening my grip around his waist so I wouldn't fall off. The street we where walking down was quiet and deserted but we did get the few odd looks from the occasional passers by.

When we finally reached the steps of the museum, Jack let me down on the first step before holding his hand out for his staff. I noticed, when I passed it to him, that the wood started to frost where he touched it, a faint blue that twirled around the area where his hand was. How strange.

We jogged up the stairs together, pushing through the big doors of the towering stone building as Merida made her way to the reception to pay whilst me and Jack waited by the doors.

"Your feet okay now?" He asked as he lent against his staff.

"Yeah, they're fine." I replied as I wiggled my toes on the smooth surface of the marble floor.

"You should really invest in some shoes or something."

"Well you don't wear any."

"I'm used to it though, your not."

"Well if I wear shoes, I never will get used to it, will I?"

"Good point." Jack nodded to himself as Merida skipped back over.

"Right I've paid, now let's go find Hiccup."

We walked through the different exhibits as we looked for Hiccup, admiring the variety of artifacts that where displayed in glass cases around the museum. We eventually found his class in the viking section, getting a lecture about Norse gods from the tour guide. Hiccup didn't seem particularly interested in what the tour guide was saying, instead he was off on his own jotting down notes in his notebook as he stood in front of a glass case that contained old viking weapons. Jack tapped him on the shoulder as we approached him, making him jump and quickly turn around. Jack laughed at his reaction before leaning on his staff with a smirk.

"What are you guys doing here?" Hiccup questioned in a sharp whisper, looking around him at the other students.

"We thought we'd come say hi, we're taking Rapunzel on a city tour." Merida explained as Hiccup nodded slowly.

"Well I suppose the museum is a good place to start." Hiccup pointed out as Jack agreed with a swift nod.

"How come your not with the other students anyway?" I questioned.

"Well I was brought up believing in Norse mythology, I already know everything." He shrugged as he shut his notebook and stuffed it back in his backpack.

"Oh..cool."

"I can't believe you guys are here." Hiccup said again as he looked around nervously, focusing his attention to the large group of students which where now starting to spread out.

"Why?" Merida asked, slightly offended.

"Well...it's embarrassing!" Jack rolled his eyes as he stood up straight.

"Oh c'mon, what have you possibly got to be embarrassed about?" Just as Jack said it, a girl came jogging over around the same age as Hiccup. She had blonde hair that was tied into a thick plait behind her and a fringe that fell over the left side of her face, completely covering her eye.

"Hey Hiccup!" She grinned at him before turning to us, smile slightly dropping but her face was still cheerful.

"Oh, hi."

"Err...hello." Merida replied, slightly baffled as to who this girl was.

"I'm Astrid, nice to meet yo-" She was just about to extend her hand when she stopped dead in her tracks, staring at Jack, blue eye's shining in awe.

"Oh my god...you're Jack Frost! As in _thee_ Jack Frost!" She squealed in excitement, waving her hands frantically.

"Nice to meet you." Jack said with a proud smirk, resting his staff on his shoulder. What was with this kid? Jack wasn't famous...was he?


	5. Chapter 5

_**So yeah, thank you for all the amazing reviews, they're really appreciated. There's not really much to say about this chapter...**_

**Chapter 5**

"I just cant believe its you!" Astrid jumped up and down excitedly in front of Jack. Hiccup crossed his arms and rolled his eyes as he watched his excited friend.

"You didn't tell me you knew him." She whispered harshly to Hiccup as she grabbed his arm.

"Erm...it never really came up?" Hiccup tried as he shrugged.

"Oh c'mon, this isn't something you just don't tell someone."

"I'm sorry, it's just this isn't exactly a big deal for me. I'v known him since I was 2." Astrid loosened her grip and looked back at Jack.

"You've really known Hiccup for that long?" She asked him curiously. Jack just nodded in response before speaking.

"He lives with us now." Jack gestured to me and Merida as we stood either side of him with a smile.

"No way! Hiccup, you are so lucky! I mean, Jack Frost is practically your dad!" Hiccup chuckled at Astrid's enthusiasm, rolling his eyes once more.

"I guess you could say that." He said with another chuckle as he smiled at Jack.

"Well, it was nice meeting you Astrid but we really should go. We'll see you at home, Hiccup." He winked at Astrid as we started walking away, making her blush and adjust her hair. For some reason, I had a twinge of jealously. It didn't really make sense, I'd known him for all of 3 days and it wasn't like he'd shown any interest in me. Like Merida had said, he was just a flirt but I still felt like he was betraying me, which was just stupid. I shoved the feeling away as me and Merida said goodbye to Hiccup and Astrid, waving as we followed Jack back though the museum to the entrance.

"So are you like a celebrity around here?" I asked Jack as I jumped on his back once more, wrapping my legs around him.

"I wouldn't say a celebrity as such."

"More like a Legend." Merida added from beside us, twirling Jacks staff in her fingers.

"A Legend eh?" I asked with a smirk, resting my head on his shoulder. I could see his lips curl into a grin as it spread up his cheeks.

"I've done some things." He replied with a slight laugh, looking at his feet as he walked with me on his back.

"Oh yeah? What kind of things?"

"Maybe I'll tell you one day." He said it like it was a secret, with a mischievous smirk.

"So, where are we going now anyway?" I asked after I realised that I had no idea.

"The London Eye." Jack replied as we stopped at a bus stop. Jack set me down on the plastic bench and snatched his staff back of Merida.

"Tell me you've heard of it." Merida scoffed, sitting down next to me.

"I've read about it but I've never been on it."

"Well today's you're lucky day!" Jack said as Merida hopped up to signal down the double decker bus. The huge red vehicle stopped in front of us, doors sliding open to reveal a smiling man sitting behind the wheel. Merida paid the bus driver while me and Jack climbed up the stairs to find a seat. The top deck was deserted so we sat at the front where we could look out the window. Merida followed us up shortly after, taking the seat next to me.

"You excited?" Merida asked with a smile as she leaned forward to look out the window.

"A little nervous actually." I replied with a weak smile.

"You'll be fine. Your not scared of heights are you?" Jack asked, leaning back on the chair with his staff between his legs.

"Well my bedroom was at the top of a tower so no, I wouldn't think so."

"A tower? Man, that's rough." Jack said sympathetically.

"Well I'm out now so it doesn't matter."

"Mind if I ask how exactly you got out?" Merida asked curiously as the bus started moving.

"Well having ridiculously long hair is useful for something." I pointed out with a giggle. I didn't want to tell them about the magical properties it had, at least not yet anyway.

"Ah." Merida nodded as she leaned back, adjusting the hem of her shirt.

The bus journey took about 10 minutes, mazing through the streets of London until we finally got to our stop. I gazed with awe at the massive wheel as we got out the bus, ignoring the stones that dug into my feet.

"Wow, it's huge!" I exclaimed as we crossed the road before joining the back of the que.

"You two stay here and keep our place, I'll go get our tickets." Merida said as she scurried off towards a small building that doubled as a gift shop.

"So how come her family has so much money anyway?" I asked Jack curiously as we waited in the line.

"Erm...I don't think I should tell you without her permission, It's not just something you tell people."

"Oh, sorry for asking."

"No, no, it's just, it's kind of a big deal so you're better off asking her yourself."

"Oh..." I decided not to question anymore so we stood in silence for a bit before Merida came running back over, brushing the hair away from her face.

"Right everything's paid for so now all we have to do is wait."

The que went down quite quickly and in a matter of 10 minutes, we where at the front of the line. I'd never been on anything like this, not even a ferris wheel at a amusement park so I was nervous and didn't know what to expect. There was a young man standing in front of us sporting a London Eye logo on his shirt, waiting for the next pod to arrive. When it finally did, he opened the door and encouraged us to quickly step in before it left. I eagerly entered the glass bubble, squealing quietly as I ran to the other end of it, Merida and Jack following closely behind. A few other people came in our pod and sat on the bench that was placed in the middle.

The wheel moved very slowly, sometimes it felt like it wasn't moving at all, so it took us almost half an hour to reach the top. I gasped as I looked out over the city, taking in the view. You could see everything, every little building that made the city.

"It's beautiful..." I breathed as Jack leaned on the metal safety bar next to me. He looked at me and smiled with pride, seeing how happy I was.

"I knew you'd like it. It's nice seeing the world from a different perspective." He sighed as he looked out at the sky.

"All those years locked up in my room and I never knew what I was missing..." I rested my chin on my arms that where folded across the bar. "How could mother keep this from me?" I asked my self as I admired the sun gleaming off the tall skyscrapers.

"You've read about the Eiffel Tower, right?" Jack asked suddenly.

"Of course! I'd love to go to Paris..." I sighed as I observed how small everyone else looked from up here. I'd read many geography books up in my room and Paris had always been my favorite city to study. There was so much history, exotic food, interesting attractions and the building's where just beautiful. I'd always dreamt of one day visiting.

"I'll take you one day." Jack said with a genuine smile, still looking at the view.

"You mean it?" I asked as I looked him, a hopeful smile spreading across my face. He nodded as he turned his head towards me, a small smile playing at his lips.

"I promise." He said with a serious look in his eyes. He didn't know how seriously I took promises, maybe he was the same.

"Thank you Jack, I mean it." I resisted the urge to pull him into a hug and settled for a simple smile. He did the same but added a subtle nod. It felt like he'd just made a oath rather than a simple promise, like he had no choice but to fulfill it and by the look in his eyes, he felt the same.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Sorry this took so long to update, I'll try to be quicker next time. Also, sorry it's kinda boring :/ but what do you think of Astrid being Jack's little fangirl? I know its not her usual behavior, it's just when she's around Jack.**_

**Chapter 6**

Pascal chirped with annoyance as Merida jumped up behind us, swinging her arms around our shoulders.

"What a great view!" Merida admired the sight with a sigh.

"I used to climb higher than this back home, if you can believe that." She said with another sigh.

"You mean back in Scotland?" I asked as we continued gazing out the glass.

"Aye lassie, used to climb the cliffs up in the highlands, much to my mothers dismay of course." She chuckled to herself, remembering her times as a disobedient child.

"Wow.." I commented in awe.

"Oh please, that's nothing compared to what I've seen." Jack piped up with a proud smirk playing at his pale lips.

"Oh really? And what exactly have you seen?" I questioned playfully.

"Everything." He replied simply, with a wondrous twinkle in his crystal blue eyes. The simplicity of his answer stunned me, had he really seen everything? Was it even possible for one person to see everything the world had to offer? No, surely not.

We stood in silence as the glass pod started to descend, it took about five minutes before I started up another conversation.

"So...if Merida's from Scotland, where are you from Jack?"

"America." He replied proudly.

"Cool, you don't really have an accent though." I pointed out.

"Well I'm from Burgess, we don't really have a specific accent, not like Merida here." He chuckled as Merida stuck her tongue out at him.

"What about you, Punzie?" I noticed that Merida had also adopted my new nickname.

"Well, I'm originally from Germany." I told them as I moved a strand of hair away from my face.

"Germany?" Jack asked, quite surprised.

"Yeah, but me and my mother moved to England when I was very young."

"Ah, I see." Merida said after I explained.

"and Hiccup?" I asked as our pod finally reached the bottom.

"Scottish, same as Merida." Jack gestured to Merida with his thumb casually. I was surprised to hear that Hiccup was from the same area as Merida, considering how thick her accent was.

"Really? He doesn't sound Scottish."

"Well you don't exactly sound German." Jack pointed out as the pod door was opened and we all strolled out.

"Touchѐ." I replied with a smirk as we left through the exit.

"So where do you wanna go next?" Jack asked as we walked down the path. The pavement still hurt my feet slightly but I decided I needed to get used to it.

"Hmm...I don't know."

"How about Buckingham palace?" He suggested.

"Yes!" I replied enthusiastically. I'd always imagined visiting a palace, so regal and grand.

"Oh, we get to walk through Hyde park!" Merida pointed out.

It took us 15 minutes to walk through the whole park, strolling along the soft grass as we chatted and admired our surroundings. The park was beautiful, like nothing I'd ever seen before. The wind blew through the tree's, rustling the leaves that floated to the ground. I watched curiously as the wind seemed to focus specifically on Jack, blowing through his snow white hair, his clothes, the grass at his feet. I noticed him watching his hand, smiling as the wind weaved through his fingers like an old friend. It seemed to completely avoid me and Merida, how very odd.

We continued walking through the park until we came to the large golden statue that stood outside the palace. The whole area was huge but unexpectedly deserted.

"Where is everyone?" I asked as we walked around the statue to stand in front of the main gates.

"People usually only come for the changing of the guards. There's this big parade thing." Jack explained as we all stared up at the massive mansion.

"Oh." There where a few other people there, mainly tourists but not many.

"It's huge..." I breathed, observing every window that dotted the building.

"Pffft, mines bigger." Merida scoffed. What did she mean? Did she have a palace? Is that why she was rich?

"This is a palace Merida, you lived in a castle. They're two different things." Jack pointed out.

"True." Merida agreed with a slight shrug.

"Wait, you lived in a castle?" I questioned in shock mixed with excitement.

"Oh yeah, you're looking at royalty here lassie." Merida winked at me with a grin. I squealed uncontrollably with excitement causing Jack to cover his ears and wince.

"I can't believe it! You're royalty?! Oh my god, you're a princess aren't you?! I bet you are! I can't believe I'm friends with a princess!" I couldn't believe what I'd heard, I never imagined I'd ever meet a member of a royal family and now I was living with one! It did explain why Jack didn't want to tell me earlier, he was right, it was a big deal.

"Calm down, Punzie!" Merida put her hands on my shoulders to stop me from jumping.

"I'm sorry! It's just..this is amazing!" I smiled widely at Merida who giggled to herself then let go.

"It's not that big of a deal." She muttered as we started walking back through the park.

"Are you kidding!? This is huge!" Jack chuckled at my enthusiasm as he rested his staff on his shoulder.

"I guess for you it might be. Just don't make such a big deal out of it, I don't want the whole city knowing." Merida said politely.

"Of course! Your secret's safe with me." I winked at her playfully, even though I meant what I said. If she didn't want me to tell anyone, then I wouldn't. Simple.

"Cheers lassie." Merida smiled sincerely, she sounded like she really meant it, even with her thick Scottish accent.

By the time we got back the apartment, it was late afternoon and me and Merida where starving.

"I need food!" Merida groaned dramatically as she searched for her keys in her shoulder bag.

"How about I make us a pie?" I suggested. I'd had a lot of cooking practice during my 18 years locked up in that house and pie's where always my specialty.

"Oh, would you?! That'd be great lassie!" Merida cheered as she finally found her keys, pulling them out of her bag proudly.

"Do you want me to help?" Jack asked. I looked at Pascal who shrugged slightly and nodded.

"Sure! Pascal usually helps me but the more the merrier!" I replied cheerfully, trying to hide my excitement that we'd possibly be alone in the kitchen together.

Merida pushed the door open after she'd unlocked it, stepping through with me and Jack following behind. Immediately, Merida slouched over to the living area and collapsed on the couch. It was odd seeing Merida exhibit Jack's usually behavior and by the sounds of it, he thought so too as we both started chuckling.

"Hey guys!" Hiccup emerged from the bathroom, waving happily.

"Hi Hiccup! How was your day?" I greeted gleefully, being polite.

"It was good, how about you?" He replied, still smiling.

"Oh it was great! I never realised how amazing this city was." I clasped my hands together, expressing my fondness for my new home.

"Well I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." He smiled as he walked over to us. Suddenly there was a gasp from the joint kitchen.

"Jack! You're here!" Astrid came skipping from the kitchen with a glass of water, heading straight for Jack.

"I knew I shouldn't have let her come." Hiccup whispered beside me with a sigh.

"Err..hi, Astrid." Jack spoke uncertainly, like he wasn't quite sure how to react.

"We've being waiting for you to come home for hours." Hiccup rolled his eyes at Astrid's statement.

"We've only been here for like an hour." He told me with an informative tone, making me snicker at Astrid's over exaggeration.

"C'mon lets go do something fun!" Astrid suggested to Jack with an enthusiastic jump.

"Actually, I'm gonna help Rapunzel make lunch." Jack gestured his staff in my direction. Astrid followed his staff to look at me, slightly offended that he'd already made plans.

"Oh, well I'm sure you could use an extra pair of hands." Astrid wiggled her fingers in front of her face, gesturing that she wanted to help.

"Well..." Jack started but I quickly interrupted him.

"No no, it's fine, she can help us!" I didn't want to be rude and I just figured she wanted to do something with Jack even though I was looking forward to spending time with him myself. I didn't want to be selfish.

"Yay! Right, should we get started then?" She was very enthusiastic indeed as she ran straight for the kitchen. Me and Jack giggled as we followed her whilst Hiccup joined Merida on the couch.

"So what do we need?" Jack asked as I started looking through the cupboards. I gathered all the ingredients we needed for the crust like flour and sugar and butter from the fridge, handing them to Jack as I did so.

"Right first we need to combine the flour, salt, sugar and butter so we need a big bowl." I told them both. Jack bent down to one of the lower cupboards and pulled out a large glass bowl and set it on the counter.

"Perfect!" I smiled as I wrote out the correct measurements for each ingredient on a napkin then handed it to Astrid along with a scale.

"Measure them out and put them in the bowl while me and Jack make the filling. Can you do that?" I started moving all the ingredients over to her side of the counter.

"Of course I can, I'm not an idiot!" Her sweet nature seemed to completely change when she was talking to me, like it was all an act for Jack. Or maybe this was what she was really like, and she just got too excited around him that it just spilled out. Who knew?

She started measuring out the flour as I walked back over to Jack who had gotten out another bowl.

"So what pie are we making?" He asked as I started searching around the kitchen until I found something.

"Well, we have apples?" I looked back over to him with an apple in my hand. Pascal scampered down my arm and sniffed at it.

"Merida! Apple pie good for you!?" He called over to the living room.

"Yeah!" She replied. I smiled then started gathering up the apples we had in my arms. They weren't cooking apples but they'd have to do.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Yay! More pie making! haha I quite enjoyed writing this chapter, I thought it was cute haha anyway, thank you for all the amazing reviews and support, I'm so glad you guys like this story :D**_

**Chapter 7**

Jack pulled out a sharp knife from the draw before rolling up the sleeves of his blue hoodie. I still found it odd that he never changed clothes but I decided to over look it. The folds of his sleeve caressed his elbow as he placed the first apple on the wooden chopping board. His arm muscles moved in rhythm under his pale skin as he worked, slowly and carefully carving out the centre of the apple before slicing the rest of it into little cubes. He smiled warmly to himself as his crystal blue eyes concentrated on the knife he was gripping in his right hand, holding the fruit still with his other. I was frozen for a moment just watching him, mesmerized by how the muscles in his exposed arm fluttered along with his own movements.

"What do I do next?" Astrids voice snapped me out of my trance and back to reality. I cleared my throat out of embarrassment and heard Jack chuckle. Had he seen me watching him?

"Right, we need to mix them together now." I told her as I walked over, inspecting the ingredients.

"Rub them together with your fingers until it looks like crumbs. Then we add water until it becomes a dough." I showed her how then left her on her own to do it, returning to Jack who had just finished chopping the last apple.

"Wow, you certainly know your stuff, I'm impressed." He smiled at me as I put the apple cores in the bin and got out a large pan after setting the temperature on the oven.

"Thanks." I poured water in the pan and brought it to the boil before adding lemon juice. I picked up the chopping board and scraped the apple into the pan using the knife Jack had been using. I was expecting the black handle to be warm from Jack's grip but it was surprisingly cold. The apples immediately started to sizzle so I turned down the heat a bit on the stove and let them simmer. As I was getting out a wooden spoon, I noticed that Jack was just leaning on the counter, watching me.

"What?" I asked with a giggle.

"Nothing, I just like watching you. You seem in your element when you cook." He sighed with a smile and rested his chin on his hand. His words made me smile as I started looking through the cupboard above my head.

"I've always enjoyed cooking, it's something I'm good at. Plus, it's relaxing." I shrugged and continued looking through the cupboard. I finally found the cinnamon I was looking for and placed it on the counter next to the sugar. I looked over to Astrid who was just about finished with the dough and smiling at it proudly.

"Can you add half a cup of sugar and a tea spoon of cinnamon to the apples, please?" Jack nodded as I went to help Astrid.

"You done?" I asked her as she stepped back.

"Yup." I grabbed some cling film from the draw and wrapped the ball of dough, leaving it on the counter to cool.

"Right we just leave this to cool and we-" I turned around to discover she had already toddled off and was now excitedly watching Jack pour sugar into a cup. I rolled my eyes and walked over to them as Jack added the sugar to the pan.

"You two can go sit down now if you want. I got it from here." I grabbed the wooden spoon and added the last ingredient to the apples. I stirred it one last time then moved it from the hob to cool.

"No no, I said I'd help and that's what I'm going to do. Even if I'm not actually eating it myself."

"What? What do you mean you're not going to eat it?" I crossed my arms and glared at him.

"Well...I'm not really hungry." I was starting to get concerned that Jack never ate, at least he never ate in front of me.

"Jack, you need to eat something. You didn't eat breakfast either." I uncrossed my arms and soothed my voice, he didn't look ill but I was still worried.

"Punzie, it's okay. I'm just not hungry at the minute, that's all." He smiled at me and rubbed my arm, trying to make me feel better. The hairs on the back of my neck rose at his touch but I ignored the feeling and shrugged his hand off.

"I'm serious Jack. You haven't eaten anything since I moved in, is something wrong?" Astrid was stood there awkwardly, her eyes switched from me to Jack like she'd just walked in on her parents arguing.

"I'm fine Punzie, honestly. You worry too much."

"Well sorry for being concerned about my friends." I snarled at him, making his eyes widen in surprise.

"No that's not what I meant, it's just-"

"Doesn't matter, I need to start rolling out the pastry." I muttered as I turned my back to him and walked to the other side of the kitchen. I concentrated on rolling out the dough, pushing it both ways with a rolling pin to make it flat. I sniffed as something started rolling down my cheek. Why was I crying? It was stupid. It was his own fault if he got ill. Why should I care? But I did, I couldn't help it. I wiped my cheek on my arm and noticed Jack standing behind me, concern spread across his face.

"Do you want some help?" He asked, his voice soft.

"No. I don't need your help." I sniffed as another tear fell. Pascal had been sitting on my shoulder the whole time and now held up a small reptilian foot to my cheek in concern. I smiled at him weakly but he knew I was upset.

"Please don't cry, Punzie." Jack put his hand on my other shoulder but I shrugged him off and let his arm fall.

"I'm not." I wiped at my eyes with my sleeve, determined to stop.

"Oh c'mon, I'm not stupid."

"Oh really? Only stupid people don't eat." I turned to look at him, challenging him for an explanation.

"Look Punzie, I know you're upset but you don't have to worry. Trust me, okay? Everything is fine." He'd put both his hands on my arms and was looking directly into my eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"...okay." He smiled at me and moved a strand of hair away from my eyes.

"What happened in here? Why is Rapunzel crying?" Hiccup and Merida where now standing in the kitchen, hands on their hips.

"Jack? What did you do?"


End file.
